Note: This article is written from researched public information about Garrett Colton, his Los Angeles retail/design background, and travel-design reporting on Buenos Aires and Uruguay. The title uses “Garret” as requested, while public sources commonly spell the name “Garrett Colton.”
Introduction: A Design Trip With Better Souvenirs Than a Fridge Magnet
Some travelers collect boarding passes. Some collect hotel slippers. Garrett Colton, the Los Angeles tastemaker behind g.Colton, traveled from LA to Latin America with the eye of someone who can spot a great lamp base, a perfect café corner, and a flea-market treasure before the rest of us have figured out the exchange rate. His routeBuenos Aires first, then Uruguayoffers a smart case study in design travel: move slowly, shop locally, eat well, and pay attention to the details that make a place feel alive.
The original journey became memorable because it was not built around obvious tourist trophies. Instead, it focused on design-forward neighborhoods, independent shops, book cafés, beach restaurants, boutique hotels, and interiors with personality. That is why “Expert Advice: From LA to Latin America with Garret Colton” still feels useful today. It is less a rigid itinerary and more a philosophy: travel like a curious editor, not like a panicked checklist with sneakers.
Who Is Garrett Colton?
Garrett Colton is best known in design and style circles for his Los Angeles boutique, first known as Standard Goods and later as g.Colton. His store on Beverly Boulevard reflected a carefully edited “general store” concept, mixing furniture, clothing, books, artwork, vintage finds, accessories, and artisan food. Rather than chasing trend-of-the-week retail, Colton emphasized timeless products, character, and things that felt discovered rather than mass-produced.
That background matters because it explains the way he traveled. A design retailer does not simply ask, “Where is the nearest landmark?” He asks better questions: Who made this? Why does this room work? Where do locals go for lunch? What object would still look good ten years from now? This is the difference between buying a souvenir and finding a story you can put on a shelf.
From LA to Buenos Aires: Why the First Stop Works
Buenos Aires is often described as one of South America’s great cultural capitals, and for good reason. The city blends grand architecture, tango history, literary culture, serious food, leafy parks, and neighborhoods with distinct personalities. For travelers coming from Los Angeles, Buenos Aires can feel both familiar and delightfully upside down: late dinners, strong coffee, elegant buildings, and the kind of bookstores that make you briefly consider becoming “the person who reads poetry at breakfast.”
Colton’s Buenos Aires experience focused strongly on Palermo, a neighborhood known for cafés, boutiques, galleries, and a relaxed creative rhythm. Palermo is ideal for design-minded travelers because it rewards wandering. You can start with lunch, drift into a bookstore, browse a gallery, and somehow end up discussing vintage lighting with someone who has better glasses than you.
Design Lesson 1: Start With Independent Shops
One of Colton’s early stops was 30 Quarenta, a Buenos Aires shop associated with owner Miguel Bornstein and known for lamps made from old bases and colorful industrial lights. That single stop says a lot about what makes good design travel. The most interesting places are often not the polished showrooms shouting for attention. They are small, personal, slightly eccentric spaces where old materials are given new life.
For readers planning a similar LA-to-Latin-America trip, the lesson is simple: build time for independent stores. Do not schedule every hour so tightly that discovery becomes impossible. A shop like 30 Quarenta is not just a place to buy something; it is a way to understand local taste, reuse culture, craftsmanship, and the relationship between nostalgia and modern living.
Design Lesson 2: Flea Markets Are Field Research
Colton also visited Mercado de Pulgas, a flea-market destination where vendors sell furniture, antiques, reclaimed materials, lighting, decorative objects, and the occasional item that seems to ask, “Am I art, or did someone’s uncle forget me in a garage?” For design lovers, flea markets are not random piles of old things. They are living archives.
A flea market teaches proportion, patina, local material preferences, and cultural humor. It shows what people saved, what they repaired, and what they considered worth passing along. If you are decorating a home, designing a retail space, or simply training your eye, an afternoon at a market can be more useful than ten mood boards. Mood boards are lovely, but they rarely smell like dust, metal, and possibility.
Where to Eat in Buenos Aires: Balance Steak With Fresh Ideas
Argentina is famous for beef, but Colton’s notes showed a more balanced view of the city’s food scene. He pointed to places where vegetarian options, fresh bread, hummus, lemonade, empanadas, affordable wine, and casual energy made the meal memorable. That detail is important because travel advice can become lazy when it reduces a country to one famous dish.
Yes, Buenos Aires is a dream for steak lovers. But it is also a city of bakeries, cafés, natural-food restaurants, wine bars, neighborhood lunch spots, late-night dining, and empanada counters that can improve your mood faster than inspirational quotes. The best strategy is to mix iconic meals with smaller, everyday places. Eat one grand dinner, then spend the next day chasing simple food done well.
Libros del Pasaje: Why Bookstores Belong on a Design Itinerary
One of the most charming stops on Colton’s Buenos Aires route was Libros del Pasaje in Palermo. A bookstore and café may not sound like headline travel material, but that is exactly why it matters. Bookstores reveal a city’s intellectual temperature. They show what people read, how they gather, and whether the local culture treats lingering as a public good.
For a design traveler, a bookstore is also a visual resource. Look at the shelving, lighting, table layout, signage, and the way the café is folded into the retail space. Notice whether people feel rushed or welcome. The best stores are designed not merely to move product but to make time feel richer. That is a very hard thing to designand a very easy thing to feel.
Next Stop: Uruguay, Where Design Gets Sand in Its Shoes
After Buenos Aires, Colton headed to Uruguay, including La Barra, José Ignacio, Garzón, and the Punta del Este area. Uruguay offers a different rhythm from Buenos Aires. Where Buenos Aires is urban, layered, and theatrical, Uruguay’s coastal design culture often feels breezy, restrained, and quietly confident. It is less “look at me” and more “the ocean is right there, so please calm down.”
For travelers used to Los Angeles, Uruguay’s design appeal can feel surprisingly natural. Both places understand indoor-outdoor living, beach culture, casual elegance, and the value of light. But Uruguay adds its own personality: gaucho country, Atlantic beaches, open-fire cooking, boutique hotels, handmade textiles, antique shops, and small towns with strong creative identities.
Casa Zinc and the Beauty of Collected Interiors
One of the standout recommendations from Colton’s Uruguay route was Casa Zinc in La Barra. The appeal of a place like Casa Zinc is not just that it looks good; it feels collected rather than decorated. That distinction matters. A decorated space can be beautiful, but a collected space feels like someone lived, traveled, listened, bought carefully, and occasionally made excellent decisions in dusty shops.
Collected interiors often combine antiques, travel finds, local craft, industrial pieces, vintage lighting, and handmade objects. The result is layered and human. For homeowners and designers, the takeaway is powerful: do not rush to make every room match. Let rooms develop a conversation. If everything is perfect at once, the space can feel like a showroom. If it has a few scars and stories, it starts behaving like a home.
La Huella: The Restaurant as a Travel Anchor
Parador La Huella in José Ignacio is one of those restaurants that seems to function as a social compass. Beachfront setting, wood-fired cooking, relaxed service, and a polished-but-unfussy atmosphere make it a natural anchor for travelers exploring Uruguay’s coast. Colton’s enthusiasm for La Huella makes sense because it combines the elements design travelers love most: place, food, mood, and memory.
A great restaurant is not only about what lands on the plate. It is also about the path to the table, the view, the sound of conversation, the material under your hand, the lighting at sunset, and whether the staff make the whole thing feel effortless. La Huella’s enduring reputation comes from that full sensory package. The fish helps, obviously. Fish usually does.
Garzón, Local Goods, and the Power of Tiny Places
Colton’s itinerary also reached Garzón, a small Uruguayan village that has become known for food, art, design, and creative hospitality. The charm of Garzón lies in its scale. Small places force selectivity. There is no room for generic sprawl, so every shop, restaurant, gallery, and guesthouse has to carry more personality.
For travelers, Garzón offers a useful reminder: do not judge a destination by its size. Some of the strongest travel memories come from tiny towns because the experience is concentrated. A conversation with a shop owner, a lunch cooked over flame, a handmade object, or a quiet street at golden hour can stay with you longer than a crowded landmark.
Practical Travel Advice for the LA-to-Latin-America Route
1. Build an itinerary around neighborhoods, not just landmarks
In Buenos Aires, neighborhoods such as Palermo, San Telmo, Recoleta, and La Boca each offer a different mood. In Uruguay, coastal towns such as La Barra and José Ignacio feel distinct from Montevideo or rural Garzón. Organizing travel by neighborhood helps you move naturally and avoid zigzagging across a city like a confused pinball.
2. Leave space for recommendations
Some of Colton’s best finds came through personal recommendations. Ask shop owners where they eat. Ask restaurant staff where they shop. Ask hotel hosts what they would do with one free afternoon. Locals often give better advice than search results because they know what still feels real, what has changed, and what is quietly excellent.
3. Pack like a design scout
Bring comfortable shoes, a good camera or phone, a notebook, a small tape measure if you are serious about sourcing, and enough luggage discipline to avoid becoming emotionally attached to a chair you cannot ship home. Also bring patience. Great travel finds rarely appear on command.
4. Respect safety basics
Argentina and Uruguay are rewarding destinations, but smart travelers stay aware of local conditions, especially in busy tourist areas, at ATMs, in nightlife zones, and while carrying phones or valuables. Keep copies of important documents, use reliable transportation, avoid flashing expensive items, and check current travel advisories before departure. Good travel style includes not losing your passport. Very chic.
What Designers Can Learn From Colton’s Route
The deeper value of this trip is not a list of addresses. Addresses change. Restaurants close. Shops move. Hours shift. The lasting value is Colton’s method. He approached travel as a form of creative research: observe materials, talk to people, study retail displays, eat where atmosphere matters, and pay attention to how objects carry local meaning.
For interior designers, stylists, retailers, and homeowners, this approach can sharpen taste. It encourages you to look beyond brand names and focus on texture, story, proportion, restraint, and authenticity. It also reminds us that good design does not always announce itself with a dramatic entrance. Sometimes it is a handmade bowl, a weathered table, a linen towel, a perfectly imperfect lamp, or a café chair that somehow makes you want to redesign your entire kitchen.
How to Bring the LA-to-Latin-America Feeling Home
You do not need a plane ticket to borrow lessons from this journey. Start by mixing old and new pieces. Pair clean modern furniture with vintage lighting. Add books that are actually read, not just color-coordinated hostages. Use natural materials such as wood, linen, leather, ceramic, wool, and metal. Let a few objects show age. A room with no signs of life can feel like it is waiting for a magazine crew and a nervous intern with a steamer.
Think also about hospitality. Latin American design often shines when it supports gathering: long tables, relaxed seating, warm lighting, casual food, and spaces that invite people to stay. The best interiors are not just photographed well; they host well. If guests feel comfortable enough to pour another glass, ask about the music, and forget their phone for a moment, the room is doing its job.
Why This Journey Still Feels Relevant
Travel has changed since Colton’s original route, but the desire for meaningful, design-rich experiences has only grown. More travelers now want independent hotels, local makers, regional food, and neighborhoods with personality. They want places that feel specific, not interchangeable. Buenos Aires and Uruguay deliver exactly that when approached with curiosity and respect.
Colton’s LA-to-Latin-America journey works because it avoids the shallow version of luxury. It is not about collecting status symbols. It is about noticing the right things: a clever reuse of factory lighting, the texture of reclaimed wood, a bookstore café in Palermo, a beach restaurant in José Ignacio, and a hotel room that feels like someone’s well-traveled friend handed you the key.
Conclusion: Travel Like You Have an Eye, Not Just an Itinerary
“Expert Advice: From LA to Latin America with Garret Colton” is ultimately a guide to traveling with attention. It shows how a designer’s eye can turn a honeymoon route through Buenos Aires and Uruguay into a master class in taste, sourcing, hospitality, and atmosphere. The most useful advice is not complicated: walk more, ask better questions, visit small shops, eat slowly, notice materials, and leave room for surprise.
From LA’s edited retail culture to Buenos Aires’ bookish, gallery-rich neighborhoods and Uruguay’s relaxed coastal design scene, the route proves that style is not a costume you pack. It is a way of seeing. And if you happen to bring home a small object with a great story, congratulations: you have successfully upgraded from tourist to traveler.
Experience Notes: What This Topic Teaches in Real Travel Life
The most useful experience related to this route is learning how to slow down without becoming passive. Many travelers confuse “doing less” with missing out. In reality, a slower design-focused trip often reveals more. If you spend three hours in Palermo instead of sprinting through six neighborhoods, you begin to notice the shape of doorways, how cafés arrange tables, which shops attract locals, and how the afternoon light changes the mood of a street. That is where the good stuff hides.
Another practical experience is the importance of talking to people who make, sell, cook, or collect things. A shop owner can explain why a lamp was built from an old industrial base. A hotelier can tell you which local artisan made the blanket on the bed. A server can point you to the lunch spot that does not appear in glossy travel spreads. These conversations turn travel from consumption into connection. They also make you much less likely to buy something regrettable, such as a decorative object that looks “authentic” in the store and “airport panic purchase” at home.
For anyone planning a similar journey, it helps to carry a small design brief in your head. Decide what you are looking for before you go: lighting ideas, small-space inspiration, restaurant atmosphere, retail merchandising, textile patterns, outdoor living, or handmade objects. This does not mean forcing the trip into homework mode. Nobody wants to be the person whispering “material palette” at dinner. But a loose focus helps your observations become useful later.
Budget also matters. Design travel can become expensive quickly, especially when boutique hotels, shipping costs, and beachfront meals enter the chat wearing linen. Balance splurges with low-cost research. Flea markets, cafés, bookstores, public parks, neighborhood walks, and local bakeries can be just as inspiring as luxury properties. In fact, they often offer better lessons because they show how everyday people use space, not just how a designer stages it for guests.
One of the best experiences from a Colton-style trip is coming home with better judgment. You may not bring back a giant reclaimed table from Buenos Aires or a vintage light from Uruguay, but you return with sharper instincts. You learn that patina beats fake distressing, that warm lighting can rescue a simple room, that hospitality is a design choice, and that the best spaces usually contain a little tension: old and new, refined and rough, local and global, practical and poetic.
Finally, this topic teaches that travel inspiration should be translated, not copied. A Los Angeles apartment should not pretend to be a Uruguayan beach house unless it is prepared to explain where the ocean went. Instead, borrow principles: relaxed materials, collected objects, honest textures, useful beauty, and rooms that welcome real life. That is the real souvenir. It fits in your carry-on, never breaks in transit, and does not require bubble wrap.